What Deborah K. Ross said, and what was done

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Julia Daniels, a remarkable North Carolinian whose generosity, leadership, and love for our State touched countless lives.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Allen Paul, a gifted journalist, author, and storyteller whose work helped preserve and illuminate the history of North Carolina.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of North Carolina's most notable business success stories, the SAS Institute. Headquartered in Cary, SAS has exemplified the very best of American innovation, entrepreneurship, and commitment to excellence.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a victory that North Carolinians have waited years to see: The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in 20 years.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor North Carolina's new Principal of the Year, Wake County's own Dr. Mariah Walker. As the principal of the Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy, Dr.”

“On the heels of Teacher Appreciation Week, the North Carolina General Assembly is finally considering increasing teacher salaries. Our State ranks 46th in the Nation for teacher pay.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member McGovern for yielding time to me. If we defeat the previous question, we will offer a bill, my bill, that will truly honor police officers: H.R. 7711, my No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act.”

“Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. This bill would provide a limited and logical extension of the authority to share criminal history records so that those who help screen law enforcement officers have the information they need to maintain hiring standards.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Artemis II crew on their successful mission around the Moon. On this historic journey, Christina Koch made history as the first woman to travel this far into space.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today, during Women's History Month, to honor Ellen Lewis of Wake Forest, North Carolina, a remarkable community member who is not often remembered in the history books.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concerns about President Trump's unwarranted and unconstitutional war of choice on Iran. Only Congress has the authority to declare war. The President does not have the power to send our Nation to war unilaterally.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Black History Month to honor a giant in the civil rights movement, Ella Baker. She grew up in North Carolina and studied at Shaw University, an outstanding and historic HBCU in Raleigh.”

“Mr. Speaker, after months of delays and distractions, Trump's DOJ finally released another trove of documents from the Epstein files. The DOJ claims it is in full compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but that is simply not true.”

“Mr. Speaker, in November, my home State of North Carolina watched in horror as Federal immigration agents descended on our State and terrorized our communities. During these raids, my constituent Fatima Velasquez-Antonio, was detained.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former Governor Jim Hunt, a giant in North Carolina history who sadly passed last month. Governor Hunt leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as a fighter for education, economic development, equality, innovation, and so much more.”

“Mr. Speaker, we have reached the precipice of a full-blown healthcare crisis in North Carolina and this country. ACA tax credits are only weeks away from expiring. Unless Congress acts, an estimated 157,000 North Carolinians will lose their coverage.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate North Carolina State University's new chancellor, Kevin Howell, who was recently installed as the university's 15th chancellor. I have known Chancellor Howell for 30 years.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Reverend Janet Watrous, who sadly passed away in October. Reverend Watrous was both a spiritual and social justice leader in our community for many years, and she was my neighbor.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the Trump administration's deployment of CBP to North Carolina. Since last weekend, North Carolinians watched in horror as masked agents descended on our State, terrorizing communities, and abducting people off the streets based on the color of their skin.”

“Mr. Speaker, next week we will recognize the 1-year anniversary since Hurricane Helene plowed a path of destruction across western North Carolina. In August, I had the chance to visit and hear directly from several affected communities.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary life and legacy of Mary Perry, who sadly passed away in August. She left a mark on our community that will live for generations to come, first through her role as the president of the Wendell-Wake NAACP for decades and later when she made history as the first African- American chair of the Wake County Democratic Party.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a North Carolina trailblazer, Juanita Bryant, who, sadly, passed away last month. Juanita spent her career fighting for the women of North Carolina.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn Republicans' big, ugly law, which decimates food assistance for 42 million Americans, including millions of children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concerns about Donald Trump's proposal to eliminate FEMA. In September 2024, western North Carolina was ravaged by Hurricane Helene, the most devastating storm in our State's history.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former Congresswoman Jane Pratt. This week in 1946, she was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to represent North Carolina in Congress.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concern about the threat that the Trump administration poses to Social Security. In February, Elon Musk called the program the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”

“My district office in Raleigh, North Carolina, has received panicked calls from seniors whose checks didn't arrive on time for the first time ever. Seniors' benefits are under attack, and Donald Trump is to blame.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Republican's budget plan that would gut funding for Medicaid. In 2023, my home State of North Carolina achieved a historic victory by finally implementing Medicaid expansion after a decade of political gridlock.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join millions of American women in condemning Trump's attempt to gut funding for women's health research. The Trump administration has rescinded women's research projects at an alarming rate.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the SAVE Act, which is a transparent attempt to disenfranchise millions of voters. The SAVE Act would change voter registration guidelines to require proof of U.S. citizenship in very narrow ways.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, Article III of our Constitution vests judicial power of the United States in the Supreme Court and lower courts.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend, Sepi Saidi, who passed away on March 24, 2025. Sepi was a trailblazer and beloved member of the Wake County community who nurtured her company from the ground-up in a male-dominated field.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Phyllis B. Fulton, who sadly passed away last week. A native of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Phyllis dedicated her life to serving her community through her work as a social worker.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Scholten for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde, who, sadly, passed away last month. A North Carolina native, Ambassador Hyde was a trailblazer who paved the path for generations of women in our State.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my profound appreciation for the staff who serve the people of the Second District of North Carolina. This is an exceptionally challenging time for public servants in America.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of a Federal scientist who was fired by President Trump and Elon Musk. In their own words, this researcher wrote: I was a biologist with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.”

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to President Trump's attempt to dramatically reduce NIH grant funding for research institutions, including those in my home State of North Carolina.”

“Madam Speaker, I rise with grave concern about reports that President Trump is scheming to eliminate the Department of Education and similar concerns about legislation that has been introduced to do just that.”

“Mr. Speaker, yesterday we marked 52 years since the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade. We should be celebrating 52 years of reproductive freedom.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Private Charles T. Norwood and to recognize the significant contributions of the Charles T. Norwood American Legion Post 157.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concern about the effort in North Carolina to overturn the will of the voters of our State. In November, Justice Allison Riggs won the election to retain her seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.”